Renting a House Vs. Apartment

Besides how many flights of stairs you’ll have to climb, there are pros and cons to whether you should rent a house or an apartment. While not all circumstances are the same for every house or apartment, a basic assessment has been provided.

The Advantages of Renting a House:

Privacy
There is no better way to ensure your privacy than to have a detached single-family house that does not share walls, ceilings and floors with your neighbors.

Convenient Parking
Being able to park in your own driveway (or garage) sure beats a parking garage, carport or the open air – especially when the weather is bad.

Private Yard
Having room to breathe and an area for your children to play or for you to barbeque is a plus for some.

Larger Space
Houses are typically more spacious as far as living area and storage. Depending on how many bedrooms you need or extra rooms for furniture, home office, etc., a home (even a 2-bedroom home) usually has more living space.

The Disadvantages of Renting a House:

Higher Rent
The monthly rental amount is usually higher than an apartment with the same amount of bedrooms.

Higher Utility Bills
Water consumption and electricity usage is typically higher in a home. Homes typically have a lawn that needs to be watered and the extra living space without having shared walls reduces its energy efficiency.

Yard Maintenance
Depending on the arrangement with the landlord, many times, you are responsible for maintaining the yard. This means mowing, watering and trimming it.

The Advantages of Renting an Apartment:

Lower Rent
On average, apartments are less expensive to rent than a house.

Lower Utility Bills
Smaller living areas (especially ones that are insulated by neighboring walls) tend to be more energy efficient and therefore, less expensive.

Maintenance Free
Whether it’s the clubhouse, pool, landscaping or other amenities, tenants are rarely ever asked to maintain them – just not to abuse them.

The Disadvantages of Renting an Apartment:

Lack of Privacy
While you may live behind closed doors, if you share a wall with your neighbor, chances are you can hear all of their laughter and arguments just as they can hear yours.

Poor Parking
Most apartments do not offer assigned parking – and even if they do, it’s usually not covered. So you may have to deal with a little walking and foul weather on occasion.

Communal Yard
For those that like to sit outside, you may have to endure some extra foot traffic and company. Apartments don’t have private yards. However, communal recreation centers, pools and tennis courts can often make up for this inadequacy.

Less Space
Even though there are many three-bedroom apartments being constructed today, they don’t come equipped with the extra storage space and living area found in houses.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where you decide to rent, so long as you’re not wasting too much of your money and live in a safe and secure area. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees of safety – even million dollar neighborhoods breed
criminals and sex offenders.